I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for article handling, and more particularly to a pivoting gate and means for conveying the pivoting gate along the length of the truck bed for moving particulate matter from the truck bed.
II. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known to transport loads of particulate matter, particularly, agricultural products such as beans, in a truck or tractor trailer combination. However, the unloading of such a truck can be extremely burdensome. Since loads of such products may only be carried during harvesting season, trucks purchased by farmers for transporting such granular material may not include automatic unloading means, such as a hydraulic dumping mechanism, because the high cost of such mechanisms cannot be justified for the limited use they receive. Moreover grain storage facilities to which a farmer's crop may be delivered are often well adapted to unload such truckloads. One known device for unloading the truck comprises a ramp adapted to receive the entire truck which can be inclined so that the entire truck is tilted to permit the load to discharge from the truck by the force of gravity. However, such a device is not practical for use by the farmer who occasionally needs to transport and unload granular products throughout the growing season or who desires to unload portions of the truck's contents at various locations throughout the farm. Rather, infrequent or partial unloading can require that the farmer resort to manual labor for unloading the truck. As a result, the unloading or partial unloading of the truck can be extremely time consuming and burdensome.
Moreover, previously known improvements for unloading trucks are often designed as a part of the truck or truck trailer and cannot be used for unloading other vehicles. For example, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,677 discloses a portable storage container in which a pusher plate is pivotally secured between carriage plates which slide along channels on the sides of the container. In such a device, the means for conveying the pusher plate is limited to the confines of the container, and thus cannot be used for removing the entire load from an elongated truck bed of greater width or length.